My Koushiro
by Kouko-chan
Summary: Is it possible for a spirit to return to the world of the living and try to take back everything he lost? Even in exchange of his former humanity and putting his beloved one in danger? Can someone love and protect that person more than him? TaiShiro
1. Awakening

Hope you like it, please leave reviews.

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

Nagisa Hayato-san was a renowned professor of Mathematics at Tokyo U. He was what people call a happy person. He was married to Ikari Hana, professor of Philosophy at the same university. With her, he had a son.

Hayato was madly in love with his family. He knew that Hana was the woman of his life when he saw her teaching about Kant's categorical imperative to a room with more than 100 students. Her hair was auburn, long and shiny, and it covered her back. She had blue eyes, the color of the sky, and a smile more beautiful than any other Hayato ever saw in his entire life. For someone as shy as him, asking her to go out was a difficult task, but he managed to do it. And even when accompanied by a woman who spoke of Nietzsche, Sartre and Descartes with the enthusiasm of a child, he could not avoid looking at her with deep devotion.

Hana was wonderful.

Two months later, when Hayato suddenly asked her to marry him during a lecture on Schopenhauer and she, despite being very flushed and embarrassed, replied "yes," he felt he was the luckiest person on the planet. Until a month after getting married, when Hana told him she was pregnant. That made Hayato feel that he could die out of joy.

The small Koushiro was born after eight months of pregnancy, a fact about which Hana joked "he could not wait to see the world." However, Hayato was very worried about their son for being premature. One night, when Koushiro had already been brought home and was sleeping in his crib with a teddy bear, the Math professor looked at him lovely. _He is so small and fragile._

Hayato stretched out his hand and gently stroked the baby's face. He was very much like Hana: had the same red hair and delicate features. However, Koushiro had his father's eyes: dark and deep. The baby also had disheveled hair, like Hayato's, instead of Hana's straight hair.

"Do not worry, Kou-chan. Daddy will take care of you and protect you always." The man promised, smiling.

Three days later, Hayato and Hana decided to travel to the coast with Koushiro. It was a hot summer night and the baby slept in his infant seat in the backseat of the car. Hayato was driving while Hana carefully studied the map.

"It will be the first time I'll know the coast. But we could have gone to a coast city not so far from Tokyo." She said excitedly.

"I've never seen the sea either; I heard that Tottori is spectacular and thought that, since it's our first time, it should be in a very special place. We should do this every year during our vacations. They will coincide with Kou-chan's birthday; I can imagine the fun we'll have." Hayato spoke enthusiastically.

"How will he be when he grows up?" Hana asked, smiling and blushing, "Will he enjoy Philosophy or Mathematics? Or will he like something completely different? He can be 'cool' and do not like to study." She had fun imagining the future of her son, knowing that she would love him anyway. Hayato looked at her fondly, failing to pay attention to the road.

_I wish he were like you, Hana._

"HAYATO!" Hana cried suddenly, pointing forward, terrified. The man looked again at the road only to see a speeding car coming towards them. Instinctively, he threw the car to the right, leaving the road and entering the woods at high speed. Unable to control the car, the last thing he heard were the screams of Hana and Koushiro crying.

And then everything was silent.

"Uri-san, I'm afraid. Why we had to come to the woods to play the cup's game?"

_A voice?__It seems to be a boy.__I see nothing._

"Don't be afraid, Cho-kun! You've heard the story that there was a car accident here 15 years ago, right?"

_Now it's a girl.__A car accident?_

"I know, I heard what your grandfather said about the couple who died instantly and the baby he managed to save. But did we have to come here?"

_Couple who died?__Baby?_

"Isn't it obvious, Cho-kun? If there are any ghosts here it will be great! Let's start the game. Oh, spirits! What message do you have for us?"

___Where is Hana?__And Kou-chan?__What's going on?_

"The glass is moving without us holding, Uri-san! What are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything! It must be a spirit! It's forming a word: H-A-N-A."

___Hana died?__My Hana died?__No!__NO!__What about my son?__WHERE IS MY SON?"_

"Now it's forming K-O-... AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

In a shrine next to the woods, the old priest was sweeping the floor when he saw his 12 years granddaughter and her best friend coming up the stairs of the site, running covered in blood.

"What happened?" The man asked, terrified, taking the kids into the shrine to treat their injuries. They had deep cuts on the arms, legs and chest, and some cuts on the face. Soon he felt it was necessary to take them to the hospital in the city, a mile away.

"What did this to you? Uri? Cho-kun?" The priest asked as he took the two to his car.

"It was a monster, Grandpa," Uri said, among sobs, "a horrible monster."

The next day, in Tokyo, Izumi Koushiro was spending his Saturday morning backing up his files on the computer when he heard the phone ring.

"Hello."

"Koushiro, tune in on TV Sakura, now!"

"Taichi-san? Why are you so nervous?"

"Tune that channel!"

Koushiro went to the living room and saw that his parents were watching something on TV Sakura, terrified.

"What happened?" The redhead asked.

"Near Tottori... it seems that a monster attacked two children." Izumi Yoshie answered, without taking her eyes off of the television. Koushiro didn't take long to realize that something was wrong with his parents, but did not touch on the subject, returning to his room to talk to Taichi-san.

"You think it may have been a Digimon?" Koushiro asked, afraid.

"I see no other explanation. The reporters were unable to speak with the children. However the doctors who attended them said that they were talking about a creature that was made of black smoke and they thought they had invoked it with the cup's game." Taichi replied.

"Huh? You do not really think the monster has been invoked like that, right?" Koushiro asked with skepticism and Taichi was nervous when he answered:

"O-Of course not! I just think we'd better investigate."

"You're right, Taichi-san. If it's a Digimon, we better take care of it. Can you contact the others and tell them to meet up at the train station? I need to prepare some things."

"OK... erh... Koushiro..." Taichi sounded hesitant, which drew the attention of the young man across the line.

"Something wrong, Taichi-san?"

"If there is something dangerous there... I think you better stay close to me... us. I mean, it's better that we all stay together, you know?" Taichi tried to disguise the nervousness forcing a laugh that wouldn't convince anyone. He hung up. Koushiro went to wake Tentomon up; his partner had been sleeping in his bed all the time. At that moment, the red-haired boy had no idea how that incident in Tottori would affect his life.


	2. The voice in the woods

I know it has been a really long time. Sorry.

**Chapter 2: The voice in the woods.**

"I can't believe you couldn't get anyone to come." Koushiro sighed, disappointed, when he met Taichi and Agumon at the train station. Both boys had dressed their partners with long jackets and hats.

"I-it's not my fault that everybody had plans… besides we don't even know if it's a Digimon yet." Taichi sounded offended.

"I wasn't blaming you, Taichi-san, I'm sorry if it sounded like that." Koushiro apologized.

"That's fine. We should get moving." Taichi accepted his friend's apology. During the whole trip, he heard Koushiro talking about a conversation he just had with Gennai about a digital abnormality that appeared in the site of the attack. The truth was that Taichi wasn't really listening to the explanation, but just admiring Koushiro's face with amazed eyes. There had been a while since he noticed that he felt something different in him when he was close to Koushiro. Taichi's heart beat faster and warmth spread through his cheeks. He had felt something similar for Sora for a long time, which made him especially nervous. Could it be possible that he was developing feelings for his best friend? Would that make him a bisexual? And how would Koushiro respond to his feelings. Not that Taichi thought that the redheaded would despise him or anything, but their friendship would be awkward if he confessed to the smaller boy. Despite that, the fear to be rejected again by someone he loved was far too great. Maybe it would be best to hide those feelings and stay as Koushiro's friend.

When they arrived in Tottori, they went to the hospital and the police station to make questions, but nobody was willing to talk about such subject with them. Later, they visited the shrine to try to find out something, however, they weren't welcomed there.

"I have nothing else to say. My granddaughter is sorry for disrespecting the spirits; leave us alone!" The old bearded priest said at the place's entrance, glancing at Koushiro with curiosity. _This child looks like that woman who died… could he be…?_

"Let's go, Koushiro. We can at least investigate the forest." Taichi said.

"Boy with the red hair!" The priest called Koushiro suddenly. "By any chance… did you grow up without parents?"

Koushiro froze when he heard that. _What?_

Tentomon looked anxiously at his partner, who didn't know that the insect Digimon knew his secret. Taichi (who didn't know about Koushiro's adoption) got mad at the priest.

"What kind of ridiculous question is this? If you don't want to give us information, then don't give it! But don't say mean things to my friend!"

"I'm not saying any mean thing-" The priest tried to explain himself, but Taichi pulled Koushiro by the arm and they, along with their partners, descended the stairs.

"Taichi-san, you don't need to be mad at him, actually…" Koushiro wondered if it was finally the time to tell his secret. For years he had struggled with that idea and felt terrible for hiding that from everyone. But he wasn't able to find the courage to share the truth. The idea of telling Taichi his secret made him afraid that their friendship could change or that his best friend would look at him differently, somehow.

"Of course I need to get mad!" Taichi protested. "You don't defend yourself when someone offends you, so I have to do it!"

"We don't even know why he asked me that." Koushiro replied.

"What, you want to go back there? Is that it? After I stood up for you?" Taichi asked, bitterly. "Fine! Go! I'll set camp at the forest!"

"Why are you angry, Taichi-san?" Koushiro was confused. He watched as Taichi and Agumon kept walking away, helplessly. Tentomon had stayed with him.

"Koushiro-han, are you okay?" The insect asked, worried.

"I'm fine; you don't need to worry about me." The boy replied kindly, so he wouldn't make his friend concerned. "Would you mind if I asked you to go after Taichi-san? I need to ask something to the priest."

"I don't mind, but don't you want me to accompany you?" Tentomon questioned.

"I'm more worried about Taichi-san. Even though he's with Agumon, he's too impulsive and might do something irresponsible. Could you please keep an eye on him?"

"Sure, I can. But if you need to talk to someone, you can count on me, okay?"

"Thank you, Tentomon."

Meanwhile, Taichi and Agumon had stopped.

"Stupid Koushiro, why is he so ungrateful?" Taichi was asking himself.

"Taichi, why are you so nervous?" Agumon questioned.

"I'm not nervous, it's just that… I don't even know."

The brunette sat on the ground and sighed in frustration. _Whenever I think about Koushiro, my emotions become so confused._

"We should camp here; we're not far from the shrine. Let's prepare everything before Koushiro and Tentomon arrive." Agumon made a suggestion; his partner smiled.

"I bet Koushiro would be happy if he saw everything organized when he gets here."

Right after that, Tentomon found them.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Koushiro?" Taichi was almost yelling.

"Koushiro-han asked me to keep an eye on you while he visited the priest. He was worried about Taichi-han."

"He… was…" The former leader of the chosen children blushed when he heard that, but soon regained his senses. "But why did he go to see that guy again? I don't get it!"

By that time, Koushiro had finished his conversation with the old man.

"Then you don't know those people's names… or the name of the baby you saved…" The boy said with sadness.

"I gave the baby to the police and told what had occurred. I don't know anything that happened later. Every night I remember that woman's face… I remember her begging to someone save her child. You look just like her, then I thought-"

"I have parents." Koushiro stated suddenly, without thinking. "But thank you for telling me all this. I should get going now."

"Be careful, boy. If what my granddaughter invoked was a spirit of a person who died in the accident, even if you're not that baby, it might target you."

"I appreciate your concern, but I don't believe in ghosts." Koushiro replied with a small smile. When he left the place and pulled his digivice out of his pocket to locate Taichi, it was already getting dark. As he walked alone in the forest, he heard a voice. It was coming from every direction.

"Hana?"


End file.
